Question on breeding in colonies

[Renee]

I was just in my chin room hanging out with the chins and I had a question for you experience breeders.

I am not sure where I read some information but was wondering how it works having a pregnant female in a colony situation.

For example, I have four girls housed together and they are happy and doing fine, should one get pregnant and still living with the other girls, how would something like that work? Would they all chip in and care for the kits? or would they try to kill the kits?

 

[AZChins]

Most of the time I find that a colony of females will help with each other's kits and do great. Every great once and awhile a mother chin will sort of flip out a bit on the other female(s) after she has babies. I've never seen the other females go after babies though, most of the time adult chinchillas are very gentle with babies even if the babies aren't their own.

I had a problem with Ondrea and Morganne a couple weeks back. They're in a trio with Zebb and have been together since they were weaned. Morganne had her first litter and attacked Ondrea a week or so after the birth. Ondrea did nothing to deserve it, Morganne was just angry! The funny thing about that is when Ondrea had her babies back in December Morganne helped her with them and was a second mother to them.

I guess the point is that you would need to be more concerned with the females attacking each other and not so much the babies. I've actually never had a problem with a pregnant chin making trouble in a colony cage, it's just after they have their little ones that they tend to go a bit crazy.

Now, I have heard from other breeders that they have seen adult females attacking little babies, but I have never seen that happen. I've had babies escape from their cages only to find them being cared for by adult chins in another cage. Most adult chins are very sweet to babies, but be careful just in case.

 

[ABBY W.]

I have seen an adult female with kits of her own attack the kits of another female in her cage. I always separate females and their babies from their cagemates because of that.

 

[tunes]

I've never had to separate a female out of a colony (knocks wood). I make darn sure my females are compatible before I ever put a male in there, and I think that helps. I don't slap two females together and throw a male in soon after that. I will let the females be together for months before I ever introduce a male.

I also never wean kits alone. I throw a bunch of chins in a big cage and let them hang out, sometimes 9 or 10 of them. They grow up together, totally used to each other, then when (and if) the time comes that I would use them for breeding, they are well used to a colony setting and very used to their colony group.

 

[AZChins]

I do the same thing with females. I wean them with other females and then I can keep them together to raise their little ones when they are placed in breeding. It's very rare that I have to separate out a female in a colony, but it does happen.

I guess the best advice would be to keep a very close eye on everything going on with everyone. Check on what's happening several times a day if possible. At the first sign of aggression separate the chin that is getting picked on.

 

[starleomach]

I have many colonies and only once had to separate. I had to reciently pull Rain when she attacked and killed Franchesca's older kits. But I had this happen the same time I had other issues due to construction on the house and many of my animals were split up due to some bad fights that I blame on the stress.

In the 9 or so years I have had colonies That is the only time I have had issues. Mostly the females help each other to the point where all the kits just nurse on the closest female with milk. I have a great picture somewhere of Franchesca one of my sapphires laying like a momma pig with 6 little piglets nursing. Only 2 were actually hers.

But first time mom's really need to be watched close in colonies to see how they react to other's babies or to other's being around there babies. When in doubt I separate. Better to be safe than sorry. With my colonies I am always quick to seperate, but even them sometimes things go wrong just like with pairings.

 

[Renee]

Thanks so much for the answers everyone. I am not thinking of breeding in anyway, I was just wondering how the dynamics of that worked.

I have enough chinnies and if anyone had babies (only through devine intervention) I have issues with letting them go, I am not one to give up my babies.